Two other candidates - Parti Rakyat Malaysia's Azman Shah Othman, 50, and independent candidate Salleh Isahak, 53, lost their deposits in the four-cornered fight, having gained just 90 votes and 280 votes respectively.

Voter turnout was recorded at 73.71 per cent or 52,983 voters, lower than the last general election with an 88.2 per cent turnout or 62,660 voters.

The Permatang Pauh seat was declared vacant when its incumbent Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was disqualified as a Member of Parliament when the Pardons Board rejected an application for a royal pardon sought by his family over his conviction for sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Anwar, who is PKR adviser, had won the seat by a majority of 11,721 votes in the May 2013 general election.

Wan Azizah, 63, is no stranger to the seat, having won it in 1999, 2004 and 2008. In 2008, however, she resigned several months after winning to enable Anwar to contest the seat and make a return to Parliament.